[TowerTalk] US Tower TB-2US bearing

[Chuck Kresge]

Has anyone purchased and installed a TB-2US thrust bearing from US Tower? If
so, I would like to know the configuration of the bearing collar that
attaches to the mast that you received.

I recently received a TX-455 55 foot crankup tower with a TB-2US bearing
installed. The collar was attached at the top of the tower with a metal
strap. An Allen wrench was also attached. The collar had ONE 5/16" Allen set
screw installed. 90 degrees from the screw was a hole approximately 17/64"
size drilled into the collar about 1/4", which is about halfway through the
collar.

Unless the laws of physics have been modified, that single 5/16" set screw
is not going to be adequate to support the weight of my 15 foot mast and
WARC-7 yagi and EF-140S 40 meter rotatable dipole! It appeared that the
collar had been incompletely machined and it was intended the collar have 4
set screws installed.

Numerous email messages to US Tower explaining my problem with the bearing
collar have gone unanswered. I suspect they figured my tower was the place
to unload this useless bearing since it was going to be shipped to the
Philippines where the recipient might not be astute enough to realize he
received a faulty bearing.

Very discouraging. But fortunately for me I have a spare YAESU GS-065 thrust
bearing which I will install in place of the TB-2US bearing. After two more
weeks the cement of my foundation will be cured and I will raise the tower.
I hope it does not have any defects like the thrust bearing.

Chuck Kresge-DU3NXE du3nxe@mozcom.com




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